High performance rotating machinery is employed in a variety of industrial applications, such as turbomachinery used for electrical power generation and aircraft propulsion, spacecraft attitude control devices, and flywheel energy storage devices.
Rotating machinery generally consists of a rotating element (for example, a shaft, turbine or flywheel) which is rotatably mounted on bearings within a stationary machine casing.
In applications where the machinery itself is mobile, mounting the rotating element poses specific challenges as off-axis moments and dynamic shocks to the rotating machinery can decrease operational efficiency and damage expensive components. This can result in significant economic losses and in a worst case scenario, catastrophic failure of the rotating machinery. Furthermore, high performance rotating machines experience significant axial and radial loads, which must be properly supported by the bearings.
To address such challenges, compliant bearings have been developed that permit a rotating machine to absorb dynamic shocks and vibrations. One well-known type of compliant bearing provides a spring loaded foil journal which supports a shaft, wherein a working fluid provides lubrication between the foil journal and the shaft when the machine is rotating at operational speed.
Another type of compliant bearing has been developed that uses strategically placed elastomers to absorb dynamic shocks. However, elastomers generally have high thermal resistance, and the elastomeric configurations available in the prior art do not allow heat to dissipate from the bearing, which can result in overheating and complete failure of the bearing.
Active magnetic suspension bearings have also been developed. However, active magnetic bearings typically require sophisticated software, actuators, position sensors and control hardware to ensure accurate and precise positioning of the rotating element within the machine casing.
Angular contact roller bearings have been developed which support both the radial and axial loads experienced by the rotating machine. However, these types of bearings can require additional shock absorbing mounts as they can be insufficient to absorb dynamic shock and vibration when installed on their own.
To ensure the longest possible operational lifespan in high performance applications, angular contact roller bearings must be mounted with high precision fits. Therefore, it is preferable to manufacture a mount for an angular contact roller bearing from hard materials capable of providing components with high tolerances for accuracy, cylindricity, flatness, runout, coaxiality and surface roughness.
Therefore, there is a need for a bearing mount specifically designed for high performance rotating machinery that: provides a high load capacity in both axial and radial directions; can absorb dynamic shocks to the machine casing; does not require sophisticated control equipment; has low thermal resistance allowing heat to dissipate; or, is constructed of materials which permit high tolerance fits.